Sortable, the Waterloo Region ad-tech company that has seen explosive growth over the past two years, has lured a Canadian media-industry veteran to the role of Chief Revenue Officer.

Ryan Fuss, who held the same title at VICE Media Canada for the past year, brings more than 17 years of experience working with top publishers looking to monetize content – the types of publishers that make up Sortable’s rapidly expanding customer base.

Exterior Sortable sign


Before he joined VICE in December of 2015, Fuss served as Senior Vice-President of Media Solutions for Blue Ant Media, Canada’s largest independent multi-platform media company. He has also worked with Alliance Atlantis, Mode Media, Yahoo Canada and CHUM Television, among other companies.

At Sortable, he’ll oversee revenues that rocketed to an estimated $50 million in 2016 and join a company that has grown to more than 60 employees from four just two years ago. Sortable’s growth made it No. 8 on the Deloitte Fast 50 fastest-growing tech companies in Canada, and No. 14 on the 2016 edition of the PROFIT 500.

Sortable sells advertising optimization, ensuring the right ad gets to the right publisher for the right audience at the right time. Using data and machine learning, its engine works in the background, making real-time decisions that determine which ad networks should fill a client’s ad space. The result is a better experience for media consumers and ultimately, more money for publishers.

“Ryan Fuss has a history of rapidly ramping publishing and online advertising businesses, and we’re excited for him to bring his publisher mindset to a technology company focused on helping publishers,” Sortable founder and CEO Chris Reid said today in a news release. Fuss is “exactly the type of talent who will help us accelerate our growth,” Reid said.

As CRO, Fuss will be responsible for all of Sortable’s revenue-generating activities, including sales, marketing and partnerships.

In today’s release, Fuss described Sortable as “a forward-thinking company that works directly with publishers as a technology partner to help build better publishing businesses.”

While some publishers, including VICE Canada, have a handle on monetization, “others need help and that’s where Sortable comes in,” he continued. “I’ve spent almost two decades working, selling and managing at some of the world's most recognized media brands, and I’m eager to apply my experience and expertise towards helping publishers of all sizes become more successful.”